The World That Walks beside Us
by lillest17
Summary: "She wasn't as she had assumed at first. For she was not frozen, but numb from the sting of the world that had taken everything from her. It left her with nothing, and with that she saw the world shut her out, but truly she had shut herself in." Elsanna AU non-incest.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! This is my first fic for "Frozen" so sorry if it's slightly OOC, or it doesn't seem to flow well. I will try my best for you, so enjoy! **

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In all honesty, she had no clue where she was going, yet her feet seemed to carry her onward. The bite of the air was cruel, and bitter against flesh that was accustomed to a more temperate region. The girl shivered, and pulled the cloak over her small shoulders. The direction she was going toward seemed to grow more, and more cold as she moved on. Despite the cold, she was grateful to escape the place she had once called home. Selby was a small area, with towering, gentle willows guarding it. The weeping trees sloped down gradually, and their graceful limbs danced in harmony with the wind. Though the place had been home, Anna loathed living in the rundown orphanage in the outskirts of the village. The adults in charge were cruel, and she knew she would have to leave in three months when she had reached eighteen. There was no place for her anymore. Perhaps she fled to find a new life, a new path. Perhaps she was a coward, running from something that would always be present within. Perhaps Anna was doing both. She shook the memories from her head and forged on.

The journey had been long, the count of days had long since been lost. She was exhausted, the weariness ate at her joints, and the sting of winter was of no aid. Anna had no where to go to, there was nothing there. She figured she may freeze to death, but death did not scare her. Death may not be such a terrible thing, she thought to herself. She had no one, she was no one. Oh how her life was insignificant, and the glittering of stars in the veil of snow reminded her of how miniscule it all was. The world seemed to stumble from her view, the whiteness mashing with the dark cloak of night. Sputtering, she sat up in the snow she had tripped into. As she fixed her hood, she spotted a shimmer. It demanded the attention of her eyes, and she granted it. In the distance was a staircase of the most pristine crystal. It led to a sight magnificent to the eye. The gleaming crystal formed a castle, with the most precise of angles, and the most pure glow. Anna threw her head back, laughing hysterically. "A fucking crystal castle!" The laughter bubbled from her frozen lips. I'm losing it now. Imagining goddamn ice castles, she thought to herself. Tears rolled from the corners of her eyes, the mark of insanity glowed in her teal irises. The mess of a being sat in the snow laughing, and sobbing, but neglecting to notice the approaching mass of white. Anna felt a hard whack to the back of her skull. The figure crumpled, the laughing ceased, and the whole world vanished within seconds.

* * *

Anna could feel the pulse thrumming at the base of her skull, demanding her attention. Groaning, she sat up, the blankets pooling around her, after falling from the upper half of her torso. At first, she believed herself to be back at the orphanage, but the fog of her disoriented state faded and she saw that she was indeed not at the orphanage at all. Instead she was in a room of crystal. The temperature was slightly chillier than normal, but she didn't notice. Instead she scanned the flawless interior of the room. The crystal was clear, precise, and stunningly beautiful. Everything about it was aesthetically pleasing and drew in the observer's eye.

"The maniac has awoken."

Anna's head whipped toward the voice. Her teal eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the girl. Her eyes were of the iciest of blues, cold and hard as arctic glaciers. The soft looking ivory skin seemed to be as pale as the snow outside the crystal walls. A single braid rested over the girl's left shoulder, the bangs slicked back on her head were messy, yet stylish. Her hair gleamed in the crystal light, the platinum braid shining. Anna was not blind, the girl was beautiful, enough to make any female jealous. She suddenly felt a bit subconscious about how messy her copper locks were, and the amount of mud that was surely on her skin.

"Maniac?"

"Why are you here?"

"What are you talking about you kidnapped me?"

"You came to my castle."

"I didn't mean to, I didn't think it was even real."

"So you came to see if the ice queen was real?"

"Wait what?"

The blonde girl, growled and her dark brows furrowed.

"I don't care where you are from. You will remain here, you should not have come here."

"Wait you can't do that!"

"Do not question me!"

She shouted, and spikes of ice shot from the ground around Anna. She yelped, and stared at the spike that had almost impaled her throat.

"How?" she whispered.

The ice girl glared at her with intensity leaking from her glacier blue eyes.

"Marshmallow! Guard this room, she is not to leave. If she tries do not hesitate to kill." ice girl commanded the white beast that had entered at her call.

"Wait! What's your name?" Anna called out.

But ice girl simply walked out of the room, slamming the crystal door shut.

* * *

Anna was rather fond of Marshmallow, subtracting the fact that he had the command to kill her if she was to attempt escape. Though large and rather daunting, he seemed to enjoy the girl's company. Anna found it amusing that the ice witch had named her minion such a childish name, and gave her a spark of hope that the ice girl was perhaps a bit innocent inside. That hope perched in her heart, a wounded bird to take flight. She was not sure how many days had passed since she had fled from home. She simply did not care, the days were smudged pastel, flowing into one another in a haze of colors. Lately the days had been a mix of blues, much like ice girl's glacier eyes. Anna was born with nothing, and here she had nothing but herself, and the clothes on her back. She simply did not care anymore. The copper haired girl had once worried herself with pondering about her future. She had wondered what her days would bring, and how she would make means, or if she would perhaps do something with meaning. Oh how laughable it seemed to her now. There was no future for her, she was born alone, and with no meaning, and she would die that way. There was no life changing deeds awaiting her to accomplish. Despite the cheerful nature of the young woman, it did not reflect the morose feeling aching within her ribcage. The shadows on the walls of the ice palace seemed to mock her. Anna contemplated escaping, but there was no place that summoned her. There was nowhere, and so she remained.

All Anna could hope for was that she did not starve to death. She wasn't sure where ice girl kept anything of sustenance in the palace. It wasn't like she could leave if she did. After watching multiple children starve in the orphanage, she knew it was not the death she wanted. When Anna was eight, she had a several roommates, including the girl across from her named Hadley. Hadley was a mere six, and tended to stay inside, while the others roamed the village streets. She was quiet for her age, and intelligent. Anna had seen her reading from a tattered blue book she kept with her at all times. The girl was already thin and willowy, with soft wisps of brown hair to frame her large doe winter was harsh that year, and little food could be acquired. Hadley had become rather thin, Anna could count her ribs. The day she died, her stomach was bloated, and her skin was a sickly pallor. Late that night she had died. When Anna had awoken the next morning she woke to a pair of lifeless eyes staring somewhere far beyond the earth, a mere three feet away from where she was sleeping. The memory made her shiver or perhaps it was cold, she told herself, but she knew why.

The memories of the orphanage seemed to return to her, multiple memories were on the halcyon days filled with laughter and games with her best friend Kristoff. One time they had worked together to steal a sled, and had gone sledding together. They went off a pile of snow, and landed in a heap of tangled limbs and laughter. Kristoff had long since left, Anna had not seen him. It was rumored that he, and Sven, his reindeer that was Kristoff's companion, had become ice harvesters up near the North Mountain. All she knew was that she missed her best friend. Anna also thought of the times when the bitter chill bit deep in her bones at nights, and when Hans had been with her. No not Hans, Prince Hans. She shook the thought out of her head, which was rather difficult since there was nothing to do in the room. Anna had taken to running laps around the room, and sliding around gracelessly in her socks. The bite of cold in the room stung, but she was starting to become accustomed to it. She had suffered worse nights. The ache settling within her stomach began to ache, it was dull, but constant. She wasn't sure how long it had been since she had last eaten, though she could've counted the amount of times ice girl had Marshmallow entered with a bucket of water. Anna decided she would really prefer not to starve to death.

Later that evening, after the sun had just bid its goodbye, and sunk below the horizon, Anna heard footsteps. The large ice door opened, and a smooth cream leg stepped into the room, followed by the rest of ice girl. Her eyes still held that shining cruel light, like a winter storm set out to kill. Her dark brows were furrowed into a scowl that did not compliment her features. In her hand was an ice tray with a bare amount of food, that could not even be considered a snack, much less a meal. Ice girl dropped the tray down on the table, the loud smack it made on the bedside table made Anna flinch. The girl's platinum blonde braid whipped around, as she turned and left the room. The large door slamming shut with a loud thump. Anna walked calmly over to the table. She sat on the small wooden bed, the only thing not made of ice in the room, and sat. The bed was small, and the mattress filled with straw, but Anna did not mind. On the tray sat a small chunk of bread, along with a piece of dried meat. The bread was dry, and nearly impossible to bite into. The meat was flavorless, and hard, but Anna ate it anyways, chewing slowly. Oh how the days seem to matter none, she thought to herself. And she continued chewing, the only movement was the slow, deliberate motions of her jaw. Anna had not seen ice girl since she had brought in the pathetic tray of provisions. The dull ache that rested within had settled slightly, or maybe the cold had numbed her senses. Either way, she would be fine, if only it wasn't so dull living in the room. After such a long period, the pristine, and precise room had become rather boring. She had spent hours looking over everything. The snowflakes were divine, and each had looked the same which defied the rule that no two snowflakes were ever alike. Anna figured this was because it was made with ice girl's magic. The room was rather spacious, so she couldn't complain about that. There was a simple bed in the middle of the back wall, across from the door. A well crafted ice bed side table sat to its right, and a wardrobe sat in the right corner on the same wall as the door. The bathroom was connected to the bedroom, which held a small toilet (in which the toilet seat was always freezing much to Anna's dismay). There was no shower, bathtub, or means of escape from the bathroom (Anna had no clue where the toilet went to, though she could see the wonderful contents of the pipes since they were of ice). She knew she was in a disgusting, filthy state, even Kristoff would have cringed at her scent. Anna sighed, knowing there was little to do about it. She could only hope ice girl would provide her with a way to improve her personal hygiene. She highly doubted this, considering that ice girl had basically kidnapped her, and had incarcerated her in her ice castle. Anna wasn't even sure where she was. Ice girl had only spoken to her on the first day, and they had not shared a word since. Since Anna had the option of pondering her past, future, or ice girl while incarcerated in the room, she chose to think of her kidnapper. The platinum blonde woman had been nothing but rude to Anna. She gave her terrible food, didn't speak to her, and glared at her as if Anna had kicked her puppy. Though she doubted ice girl would have a puppy considering how cold she seemed. Anna had a hard time picturing ice girl holding a cute, innocent puppy while smiling. The girl seemed to do nothing but glare, her dark brows always pulled down into a scowl that did not compliment her in any way. If anything Anna should be the one scowling at ice girl. In all honesty Anna really did not like ice girl. She almost hated her. What right did this girl have to kidnap Anna when she had done nothing, and treat her poorly? Anna scowled at the floor, the anger beginning to itch over her skin like a shadow creeps across the walls. All her life Anna had been contained, and had little control of the events in her life. Then she escaped that, only to be thrown in another prison. It was absolutely ludicrous. If there was one thing that was true about the feisty redhead, it was that she did not like being told how or when to do certain tasks. By nature the girl was rebellious, spending the days of her youth skipping curfew, refusing to do schoolwork, and playing in the dirt with the boys. The orphanage leader had a certain dislike of her, but Anna knew he cared about her. He had known Anna's father as a child. The two had been close, and Anna was his friend's only child. She used this to her advantage, pulling off childish stunts that brought laughter to her, but the misery of cleaning up Anna's trouble for the older man.

* * *

Anna was determined to leave. The confines of the ice castle were beginning to strangle her, she'd almost prefer death to being trapped in the ice room. The girl had no clue how to escape, there were no windows, and the only other way out was the door. That would surely bring death, due to the fact that Marshmallow was guarding the door. Ice girl came in occasionally, but Marshmallow was constantly at the door. The only other time Anna could even imagine escape was when Marshmallow brought water to Anna. She thought it through, finding the errors in her plan, and attempting to find a solution. If she were to run through the door, it was likely Marshmallow would catch her. He might also not allow her near the door. There was simply no way to run past him while he entered. The biggest element Anna had was surprise. She figured her best bet would be to stand near the door when he entered, or as close as allowed, and bolt when he went to fill the water. The girl was stubborn, and would stop at nothing less than her best to accomplish the goal she had set. When Marshmallow entered later that day, Anna had been prepared for escape. The copper haired woman leant nonchalantly against the wall near the door. As usual Marshmallow entered with water to fill the bucket with. When he had opened the door, Anna bolted, improvising her plan and sliding beneath the giant snow creature's legs. The cool feel of ice seeped into her filthy clothing, but the cool rush, and adrenaline pumping throughout her system brought life to the feisty redhead. A laugh bubbled from her lips as she stood and broke into a mad sprint. The ice palace was simply stunning, Anna appreciated it as she ran about the palace. Marshmallow's angry roars sounded throughout the wing, the verbalized anger sent a slight bit of panic through Anna's mind, but in the end she neglected to acknowledge it. The lumbering footsteps of the snow beast were becoming more audible, but she did not care. This was her bit of freedom, this was what she waited for in the dead of the night in the god forsaken orphanage in the middle of a miniscule village. As she ran her hair trailed her much like a coppery flame amongst the blue of the ice. While running she failed to notice the figure standing there with cold glacier eyes. Anna ran full force into the blonde girl, knocking both of them down on the ground.

"What the fuck!"

"Sorry!"

"You should not be out here."

"I know, but I don't belong there."

"You do now, you should have never come to the North Mountain."

Anna did not reply.

"I should have you killed you uncivilized imbecile."

Anna squeezed her eyes closed, the anger bubbled in her veins, and consumed her like the shadows that took over the night. She did the first thing that came naturally, she slapped ice girl hard in the face. Anna looked at her, noticing for the first time that she had pinned the girl down in her fall, and she remained there holding her kidnapper down. Ice girl was looking at Anna, her pupils slowly dilating, and glacier irises darkening as she glowered at the red head. Her dark brows furrowed even more, marring her fair features, and her braid had become rather messy. The gulp Anna made was rather audible, and ice girl shot a stream of ice that threw Anna into the air and tossing her to the cold floor.

"Don't ever touch me."

Anna nodded from her place on the floor. She flinched when ice girl walked past, the girl made sure to pick Anna in the shin, quite hard. The loud plops sounded as Marshmallow came in and grabbed the girl by her injured shin.

"Damnit that hurts!"

She shouted to no one. The grip around her leg grew tighter, and she cried out from the sharp pain that traveled up her limb. Marshmallow paid her no mind as he carried her back to her icy prison. She cringed when he threw her onto the hard floor of ice. "And stay!" He roared, simultaneously slamming the door shut. "Well that didn't work too well." She whispered to herself. The pain in her shin was still prominent, but the ache in her body was throbbing. The adrenaline had left her system, leaving her a tired mess. She had accomplished her goal, yet she felt a bit empty. All that was left was the hatred seething in those arctic blue eyes.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! If you like what you read add it. Have any constructive criticism? Feel free to leave a review or PM me, sorry if I don't answer right away, I have a life (band) occasionally. I have a tumblr- lillest17 .tumblr. com (just take out the spaces). **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here is chapter two! Takes place a bit later, and of course there is more to come so stay with me. Enjoy! Thanks to anyone who bothered to read through, and those who reviewed :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen, it belongs to Disney. This is simply for my own amusement, since I am a teenage female with no life. **

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_One year later…_

Much time had passed, the days were lost to Anna, a faded photograph that lay forgotten in the attic. She was unsure of how much time she had remained within the icy confines that were apparently on the North Mountain. She knew that this was an area in the kingdom of Arendelle, a land rather far from the humble village that she had originated from. The seasons did not exist, the bite of winter had consumed the land all year. It coated it with a sickly gray, like that of ash that sat in the rain after a fire. The bite of the chill had not ceased, but Anna had grown accustomed to the icy bite of Jack Frost. She sighed, repeating her routine of running laps around the room, jumping up and down, and finishing by plopping on the unstable wooden bed. There was little to do, and Anna had already inspected the finest of details in the ice prison. Anna had not seen ice girl since the incident. The memory of crushing the small girl beneath her was sharp, for she had never realized how fragile the girl seemed. Those looks were tricky, the sharp pain of being thrown to the ground by ice was not forgotten. Ice girl also had a very good kick. The nasty bruise blossomed in a shade of purple with mixes of blue. It had taken weeks to heal, and was not an experience she would prefer to relive.

Anna wondered what the girl possibly did to occupy her time in the ice palace. During her escape, she noticed that there was very little to do, and if Anna was bored, surely ice girl found herself in the same state. The dislike Anna harbored had grown much over time, she resented this girl for treating her so poorly, and thinking she had a right to be angry with Anna. She hated that this girl would have the nerve to kick her, and throw her with her powers. It filled her with anger that she had done nothing, yet she was treated with such injustice. Anna hoped the slap she had delivered left a nasty mark on ice girl's flawless complexion. Despite this dislike, she still wondered these things, for she was a curious child, and had not outgrown this trait into adulthood. The hint of childish, innocence still sparkled in her teal eyes, as she fed the raging beast of her curiosity. Much of Anna wondered what had caused ice girl to become so rude, and cruel. Surely she was not always this way, she wanted to believe. It still did not give her a right to kidnap Anna, and treat her as a lowly prisoner.

Even Marshmallow had been rather cold towards her. In the beginning he seemed to tolerate the rambling ginger, but had taken to roaring at the door when she had become too loud. After the incident, he too had begun to ignore her. The only time Anna saw him was when the snow beast came with the water. Anna's food was also delivered by Marshmallow. She figured that the ice girl did not want to see Anna after she had left her hand imprint on her cheek. The feeling was mutual, but Anna did need a means of escape. She'd thought about it, but she had no way to navigate the vast halls, and it was likely that she would be caught. It wasn't like she had a destination, there was no place for Anna. There was no place for people like herself. Orphans did not belong, they were nothing but abandoned children, forgotten and left for the harsh reality of life. Anna knew she was not wanted, there were already so many children that were left behind, and she was just another one. The other orphanage head always reminded her that there was no future for her. There was only menial labor, and she would live to die. They were the forgotten ones, left to the outskirts of town, called rats when all they wanted was a bit of food so they wouldn't fall asleep and never awaken. People did not care about them, but Anna was too sweet not to love people despite their harsh nature. She read their eyes, she saw their struggle, the turmoil that still had yet to cease. It would be easy to say their struggles were nothing to her own, but she knew that a struggle was a struggle. To each his own, one could not rate over another. It was either a struggle or it was not. She saw how the world hardened them, and she could not hate them. There was already too much hatred that settled in the hearts of men, but there was too little love.

The memory of the orphanage brought back the memories of Hans. Anna had been young, drunk on the idea of love that poisoned her through the multiple tales she had read. Hans was everything she was not. He mattered, he was loved, and he was handsome. Hans was the perfect gentlemen, even at the young age of fifteen. His eyes were a dreamy shade of green, and his chestnut locks framed his face gorgeously. When she had met him, he only had eyes for her. Hans made her feel wanted, he made her matter because she mattered to him. That was enough for Anna. Hans was a prince, though, the thirteenth in line in the Southern Isles. He was here for the princess, only stopping for a few weeks due to the carriage crash near their small town. They ran around, she was allowed to be her awkward, rambling self. Instead of calling her an obnoxious child for speaking, he told her that her rambling was cute, and that he liked listening to her talk. They ate sandwiches, and he was always so sweet for her. As mentioned, he was a prince, in the end he only wanted one thing from Anna. His parting words as he left her sitting in front of the orphanage with tears streaking her peachy cheeks were,

"If only there was someone out there that loved you."

Anna never saw Hans again.

That broke her, all she'd wanted was love, someone who made her matter. In the end that had failed, she mattered to no one. Kristoff was there to counsel her, but soon he too had left her behind. She could remember him telling her excitedly about the opportunity to leave with Sven. Anna would smile happily, but he never saw the sadness echoing in her eyes. She did not blame him, after all she was the liar, she had no right to do so. So she watched her best friend leave with his reindeer. They walked the beaten road, and she could still remember Kristoff's eyes when he turned back for the last time to look at Anna. Nothing felt like home, everything that was of importance was now gone. Mr. Darvy, the orphanage head had passed. It was the last Anna could take, there was nothing there for her. There never was anything for her. Her former lover was yet a stranger, her best friend now long gone, and the only man who had ever cared about her was too. This existence was only misery for Anna, the world spiraled to nothing. She had hoped for a new life as she fled. She laughed bitterly at the irony. Anna sure did have a new life, but in a way it was quite the same. It was likely that she sounded insane, but insane people are never aware of that fact. That night she fell asleep, she dreamt of ice princes leaving on reindeer, while a young Mr. Darvy sang soft tunes to himself while knitting a black scarf

* * *

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of the door, her eyes darting to the figure that entered the room. The sleepy girl sat up, her red hair a fiery mess around her head. Ice girl had entered the room. Her hair was in its immaculate signature braid, with those bangs swept back on the girl's head. Her sheer ice cape trailed elegantly behind her, as her ice heels clicked against the ice. The ever present scowl remained on her face, her eyes just as cold as Anna remembered. The redhead drank in the sight of another living being, it had been a very long time since she'd last seen a person. She stared shamelessly at ice girl, watching her precise, deliberate movements. In the girls ivory arms was a tray with food. As she did before she dropped the tray onto the table, and turned to leave. Suddenly Anna craved the touch of another human, even a hug would make her content. She felt her skin itch, and impulsively she stood and ran up behind ice girl. Her freckled arms wrapped around the other girl's waist, pulling ice girl in from behind, and pulling her thin frame towards Anna. The event only took a few seconds, but time seemed to slow. Ice girl was a few inches taller than Anna, and her scent was the very embodiment of winter. Anna felt ice girl stiffen in her arms, then she felt an elbow in her ribs as the girl shoved Anna off of her.

"What is wrong with you?" Ice girl shouted.

"I-I just needed human affection. It's been so long." Anna whispered.

She was sure she sounded insane.

"I already told you, don't touch me." Ice girl hissed.

Anna watched her retreating figure. The girl stormed out of the room, a trail of angry flurries followed her. The echoing sound of the door slamming made her flinch. After the door had shut, Anna sighed. She was unsure of why she had done that, especially to a girl that hated to be touched. It had been a long time, and Anna was a touchy person, and was not used to being without human contact for so long. She did not realize how much she craved it. It had grown to the point where she would hug the girl who had trapped her here. Anna shook her head. She was going to lose her mind. It was completely frustrating to be trapped here. Why did the girl even trap Anna? She had done nothing, yet she was stuck here. Why not just kill her? What use was she to the girl? Anna had nothing to give her, all she had was knowledge, and the easiest way to eliminate that was to kill. It simply did not add up in Anna's mind. Ice girl had no purpose for her, she was just another mouth to feed, or elbow in the ribs. She flinched, thinking about the bruise it would leave. Even with her thin frame, ice girl's elbows were rather bony, and strong when jammed into another person's rib cage. Anna wondered what ice girl was going to do with her. It had been a long time, though the date and season she was unsure of. The winter had yet to yield, and she knew it would not cease so long as the ice girl was present. She pondered how long she would be stuck here, forced to live in the icy confines of the room. Anna could see everything through the ice, yet she could not reach it. The ice was impenetrable. There was no way out for Anna. At the very least, she had been provided a washcloth to improve her hygiene, along with a hair brush, and toothbrush. She had to take water from her drinking supply, but it was worth it. Anna had not acquired a new outfit since she had left Selby. Her clothes were in poor shape, holes littered the cloth, and all she had as an extra was her jacket which had been worn rather thin.

It seemed as if life was working against Anna. She did not live the worst of lives, in her opinion, but life had certainly not been easy for the girl. First the orphanage struggles, and struggling to find a place in which she was meant to be. This was followed by a short burst of freedom, it teased her like the bait of a fishing hook. She was hooked far too deep, and was reeled into a world of chaos, only to end up a prisoner. Perhaps it was her own doing, for she fled, and destiny like a string had a rock thrown in it. It rippled but it would flow just as it was meant to. Life was working against Anna. It seemed like it wanted to kill her. She just wished it would do it faster.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a review, got constructive criticism? Feel free to pm me, or leave a review. I appreciate it! I have a tumblr- lillest17. tumblr. com (take out spaces). I am in need of a beta reader, so if anyone is up to that, that would be spectacular. Just pm me :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N:_****Hello friends, I guess if you're reading this you bothered to come read my fic so thanks! I hope you're enjoying so far, I apologize for any mistakes. Sorry it's a bit short, I did only sleep five hours last night so hopefully it's a decent chapter. Thank you to _TheGirlWithTheBird _for reviewing, and giving me constructive feedback. I'll try my very best to improve my writing, though I only can offer my best effort. Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen, that belongs to Disney.**

* * *

Three months later…

The bruises on Anna's ribs had been rather nasty, but had eventually faded back to its regular freckled look. Anna did not make the mistake of attempting to touch ice girl, not that she could have, because she did not return to the room. Marshmallow delivered her food, and water now. Even the lumbering snow creature did not acknowledge Anna's existence. The whole ordeal was rather frustrating to the girl. The crushing sense that she may be trapped in the ice room was completely suffocating, and she could not stand it. The room was beginning to drive her insane. Even the beautiful, crystalline pattern filled Anna with slow burning embers of anger, that sat buried beneath ashes. Anna had begun a count of the days since ice girl had last come, it had been exactly ninety-two days.

The ache in her heart grew, she longed for the winds of summer that carried warmth upon them. She missed the kiss of the skin on her skin that was becoming rather pale. Though her portions had increased to a more livable amount, it still did little to fix what was meant to be provided by nature. The girl desired the grass between her toes, and the delightful scent that was undeniably summer, that wafted in the air on the mildest of days. She missed the blue that settled between the soft cumulus clouds just between the horizon and zenith. Every day constricted her, a boa waiting for the kill. Anna knew she had to leave again, everything was much too confining for her. The girl was a wild spirit, the lack of sunlight, and freedom contributed to the hunger inside of her. Anna knew her trick would not work again, it was not likely that she'd find another way of escaping.

So the girl waited, and eventually the ice girl returned. Anna could see her slim figure through the ice. Teal eyes drank up the image of another living being that was not made of snow. In her hand was the traditional tray, but it appeared as if ice girl herself was delivering it. This was her opportunity. Anna figured ice girl did not wish to kill her, or she would have already done so. Therefore Anna could slip through the door, hoping to catch the girl off guard. From there she would run, ice girl would not kill her. Anna knew this, but she figured she would not escape. Even if she was to die, that fate didn't seem quite so bad compared to rotting away in the ice room. Anna had set her mind to it, and so it would be done. When ice girl entered, the redhead bolted from her spot, barreling past the blonde. The ice girl fell to her butt, staring in bewilderment at the insane red head who had just run her over. Her eyes narrowed, realizing that the girl had escaped. Quickly she stood up and pursued her.

Anna enjoyed the feeling of air around her, her legs carried her, though she was out of shape from the time spent in captivity, despite exercising. It was unusual how quiet it was, Anna had not seen the lumbering shape of ice girl's companion. She had expected both to pursue her, and drag her back to her prison, but it was not so. Instead ice girl ran after her on nimble legs. her platinum braid trailed behind her. Anna turned to glance at her, when their eyes met, the other girl's eyes became harder, and narrowed to angry slits. Quickly Anna dove, sliding across the ground laughing.

"You gotta catch me ice girl!" she shouted with glee.

Anna laughed as she ran around the vast room. She soon realized that this was the front. Right near her were the doors. Her legs sped up, and soon her palms connected with the icy door. She shoved it, but they did not budge. She tried again, but with no avail.

"They won't open."

Anna didn't care, she broke off into a sprint once more. Soon she was in a vast room, her feet slowed to a halt. Teal eyes widened at the site, the horror sunk into her gut, and the terror was visible in the woman's eyes. In the room were shards of ice, sharp as any sword, but pinned against the all was a man. He was frozen, in his hands a crossbow. His eyes held a light of terror, his face twisted into a mash of anguish. Anna could see the red that was frozen in the ice that had impaled him into the wall. The sight horrified her, the body had yet to rot due to its frozen state in the large room. Other patches of scarlet shone on the ice, it had long since dried, and seeped into the floor. Anna felt the little that was in her stomach rise, the sickness filled her.

"Don't you see why you should have listened?" A voice sounded from behind her.

Anna whipped her head around to look at the ice girl.

"I'm a monster, I can't be stopped."

"You're not a monster."

Ice girl laughed bitterly, a strange light shone in those blue orbs.

"And you're not a redheaded imbecile." she mocked.

"You're not a monster."

"Don't you see what I can do to you?" Ice girl shouted, the blue flurries spurting from around her.

The blizzard grew, the room was even more so cold than it was before. The gust of wind was as strong as twenty men, Anna was thrown to the wall near the impaled man. She screamed at his empty eyes, but the storm drowned her out. Ice spikes slowly grew from the walls, consuming the room in their sharp terror. The storm was so beautiful, yet completely dangerous. Ice girl was in the center, letting the power flurry from within her. She shouted, but Anna could not hear the ice girl. The only word audible was "won't" and "conceal." It was the most terrifyingly beautiful thing Anna had ever been spectator to. The power was raw, it was fresh, it was magical. The power was also hazardous, it was a murder, it whispered of death. It was stunning.

"Stop! Please stop!" Anna shouted.

The storm raged on, Anna had lost track of time, the bitter cold was biting her. It had begun to slow, leaving ice girl collapsed in the middle of the floor. Anna wanted to leave her lying there, she could attempt escape. That was not the nature of the young girl from Selby, instead of abandoning the woman who had brought nothing but pain she stayed. Ice girl had collapsed in the center of the room, a broken mess of sobbing fractals. It was not the pretty type of sobbing, true anguish never allowed such a thing. Instead her face scrunched, the sobs caught one another in her throat, and her shoulders shook uncontrollably. A mess of snot dripped from the ice queen's flawless button nose. Anna could not leave her, not like this. Perhaps it was the sadness in her, for it was the bond that all humans shared, one thing that united all. The girl gathered the blonde in her arms, holding her. Her arms whispered lies to the ice girl, telling her promises of safety, but ice girl knew. The world only worked to take away from you, if only it would just take her.

Anna held her, she clutched onto the ice girl as she sobbed, for ice girl was anchored by her, but Anna was also anchored by her. The simple rawness of it nipped at her heart. Her heart broke for the ice girl. Anna could read it in her eyes. She had lost everything, the world forgot her, and she was broken. After one year and three months, Anna encountered the ice girl for the fourth time. This was her own choice, and there she would stay. At first the ice girl seemed anything but human, the robotic movements of her suggested so. Underneath, though, was a complex work that was completely raw, and completely human. A factor that defined each that lived, it lurked deep within, especially those who were so hardened. For they were the ones who were once soft as water, hardened with time and struggle.

When ice girl looked at her, her blue eyes were not so cold. They were like cracked arctic ice, stunningly blue, yet broken. The tears shimmered in them, and the red veins snaked up the white sides of those wide azure eyes. Her chin trembled slightly, and Anna hugged her closer. She whispered sweet nothings into her ear, assuring her the safety of the world. Something a girl Anna's age could never guarantee, for humans handed out promises of the world, only to abandon them like an unwanted chore. For some reason ice girl felt a slight bit of reassurance, but that may have been due to the lack of human contact. It was a lonely existence in the presence of snow creatures made by her hands.

"I'm a monster." she whispered.

"You're not a monster." Anna said loudly.

"Yes, I am. I killed them, I would've killed you."

"You're wrong. If you wanted me dead, I would be. Simple as that."

Ice girl let out a bitter laugh,

"Simple? Nothing is simple."

"But this is."

Ice girl said nothing. After a long silence, she stood up, putting on the regal look that she had when Anna had first met her. Anna watched her, wondering how the girl had gone from a trembling mess, to that of a woman, with the look of a queen. All resentment Anna had for her captor had died, she had really seen ice girl. Now all she felt was a sharp pang of sadness within her heart. She had witnessed the suffering in her eyes, the anguish had seeped into Anna as the girl wept. A wet spot still stained her shoulder, a reminder of what had just occurred. Life had been cruel to the girl. Anna stood up next to her, noticing once again that she was shorter than ice girl, which was mildly irritating. She had always been rather short. Kristoff had made sure to let her know this many times at the orphanage. Once again she glanced at ice girl, and soon remembered that she had not once introduced herself.

"My name is Anna." she said.

Ice girl nodded. Then she turned on her heel and walked out of the room, leaving Anna alone, but not before looking over her shoulder and saying,

"Elsa. My name is Elsa."

And with that she left. Unsurprisingly another snow minion appeared to take Anna back to her chambers. She was slightly curious about what happened to Marshmallow, but all she could hear was ice girl's sweet voice telling her one thing. _Elsa_.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! Got any constructive criticism? Feel free to leave a review or pm me. I'm also on tumblr~ lillest17. tumblr. com (remove spaces). Have a nice day :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello readers! I hope you're enjoying your summer, thanks for stopping by. Thanks to musilpepito for reviewing, I went back and edited. Enjoy! :)**

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When Anna had risen the next morning, the stirring within her had become a bit more content. The room seemed less bitter, and she had began to appreciate its complex beauty. The geometry of the room was simply remarkable. The ice room wasn't the only remarkable thing on Anna's mind. The images of ice girl- no not ice girl, her name was Elsa. Anna thought it to be a pretty name, it was unique, but not strange. It had a delicate lull as it rolled off of her tongue. The name was delicate, yet beautiful, much like the ice girl herself. The girl's parents had chosen the name well. Perhaps it was after they saw the shock of platinum blonde hair.

Anna wondered why her parents named her Anna. Mr. Darvy had never told Anna much about her past. Apparently her father adored pranks, and had driven the people of Selby mad with his antics. The story of her father's butt going through the wall of the mayor's house while trying to escape out a window never failed to elicit a giggle from the girl. Anna knew her father was a troublemaker, but Mr. Darvy told her how sweet he was to Anna's mother. The mother and daughter apparently shared the same rich, sweet teal eyes, along with freckles. She had always abhorred them, but after knowing her mother had them, she grew quite fond of them. Her mother was beautiful, and she understood why her father pursued the woman. According to Mr. Darvy he was a clumsy moron, but was rather sweet, and slightly awkward. That assured her that she was her father's daughter. Mr. Darvy did not know her mother, he was only aware that she was of a higher upbringing, being the mayor's daughter. Her mother had found the butt hole in the wall rather amusing, and loved to tease her father with the story. The two had died when the raiders came to the village, pillaging it, and setting much of it on fire. They burned to death, and little remained. It left Anna to carry on their legacy. Anna would occasionally remove the locket from her neck, and look at her parents. She wondered what they'd think of the situation she was in now.

She wondered if they would be proud of her, but she figured there was no use worrying over such a thing. They were dead now, and they were strangers to Anna. At least that's what she told herself. Deep inside, though, a sliver of her wished to please them, and felt a deep attachment to the pair. She never knew their names, no one had ever told her. She had never seen her file, she only knew that her last name was Gyllen. A bitter pang hit her chest, for she'd left it all behind. There was no way for Anna to know her history, or to know who her parents were. It was not like she could return there, the new head of the orphanage was the very same who reminded Anna that she did not matter. The woman had a strong dislike for her, and Anna knew she wouldn't return anyways.

The heavy movement of the door jarred the redhead from her thoughts. She looked over at the heavy ice door, standing there was Elsa. She held the regal air about her, her posture was impeccable, and not a strand of hair was out of place on her head. There were no signs of what went down a few weeks ago. She would've believed it a strange dream if it weren't for the fact that Elsa came to her room daily. Occasionally they would make small talk, but Anna enjoyed every bit of it. The girl was completely depraved of social interaction with other beings. Anna found that Elsa was quite interesting. She would talk about her parents, or the ducks that lived in the castle gardens as a child. Anna told her about her adventures with Kristoff, and the ridiculous antics they pulled as children. The closest the two reached that involved anything of content was when Anna mentioned her deceased parents. Anna found it strange that the two had gone from a strong hate, to a being acquaintances. The memories of the past few weeks faded as the heels of her shoes clicked gently over the ice, click clack click clack. The clicks stopped when she reached Anna, looking at her with blue eyes that had returned to their icy hue. The scowl had returned in her brows. Anna immediately knew that the conversation that had been delayed had come.

"Hello Anna."

"H-hi me? Oh hi."

Anna could have sworn she saw a tiny smirk on Elsa's lips.

"We need to talk."

"Okay. About yesterday?"

"Yes, I suggest you ignore what happened yesterday. I appreciate your help, but from here on out we will not discuss the event. Is that clear?"

"Why?"

"Because I am a queen, and you are a lost girl. Yesterday did not happen."

"You're a queen?"

"Yes I am. Do you understand what I am asking of you?"

"But why? Why do you want to forget? All I've done is helped you!"

"Please lower your voice, Anna. I do not have to have a reason."

"You're being ridiculous! First you kidnap me, then you lock me up for gods know how long, then I help you and you shut me out?"

"We are done discussing Anna!"

"No I won't do this, stop shutting us all out. I'm trying to help."

"I never asked for it. This is enough."

"Your eyes beg for help, and someone comes, and you shut them out. That's all you ever do is shut people out!"

"Enough Anna!"

Spikes of ice shot into the air around Elsa, her pupils had dilated, and the blue around them had darkened with anger. The only sounds were Elsa's heavy breaths, and the squeak Anna made when the spike nearly impaled her chest. Teal eyes stared at the sharp object that had almost entered her flesh, her breathing became labored.

"I think you should leave." Anna whispered.

The queen nodded, and simply turned. Her footsteps were controlled as she stepped out the door, the doors to the room shutting with a loud _slam!_

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Anna wondered why Elsa worked so hard to shut her out. It had taken almost a year to see the girl again, and another three months to learn her name. From there they had become acquaintances, sharing pointless stories of the days of their youth. Anna cherished that time, since she was a very social individual, and had been deprived of social interaction for far too long. She would often talk to herself, trying to occupy time, and avoid being driven to insanity. Neither of those things were very fun tasks. Of course she kept to running laps around the room, and other exercises, since there was very little to do.

When Elsa came it had become a bit easier, and the pain of being suffocated by the room had deflated some. Anna was surprised that Elsa even talked to her, she seemed to do well without interacting with other human beings. There were many things she desired to know about Elsa. She always enjoyed learning about people, down to the most idiotic of details, which may have included their favorite pair of socks, or what type of hair tie they used. The resentment Anna held against Elsa was currently non-existent, though she was frustrated with her. She did not understand why Elsa held her captive, but she never had the nerve to ask such a thing. The magic Elsa possessed did not scare her. She knew the girl would not kill her, but she hated to upset her. Therefore she did not ask, there were many questions to be asked, but she was afraid that they only led to more questions. It had been hard enough to coax the ice queen into speaking, and Anna feared pushing her. Despite being her captor, Elsa treated her well. Unlike her first weeks, the food came daily, and was of better quality. There simply were no clothes though, even Anna knew Elsa wore the same dress daily (though it was composed of ice, and could be easily repaired). Anna asked her to make her something of eyes, but the other girl shook her head before switching topics. The two knew the conversation of the incident would come up, but they had managed to avoid it until now. Anna knew Elsa would eventually bring it up, but she had been unsure of when.

Anna hated that the girl pushed her away. She tried in vain to gain the attention of the ice girl, and she'd often be found rambling like a mad woman.

Anna had been known for her ability to talk for hours on end, unless someone stopped her. The other orphanage head was the first to do so, telling Anna to,

"Shut her trap, and stop abusing the language."

Anna tried very hard to stop rambling since then. With Elsa she did not mind, she just desired to fill the silence, and her rambling did just that. She felt as if they had grown closer, yet they were still so distant. The two knew nothing of each other, other than a few childhood pranks, and memories. Anna was not even aware of what kingdom they were in. Still there had been much progress since the day Anna had first met Elsa, and Marshmallow. She had not seen the creature since her last escape attempt. She was curious of his whereabouts. While the creature was rather daunting, he was rather adorable, and sweet if treated well. Anna adored him, but her snow companion had been gone for months.

She wondered what had changed, the itching on her skin informed her that she desired to escape again. It was a seemingly impossible task, the ice was not breakable by her, and no objects in the room would do the trick. There were no windows, leaving only the door as a way to escape. The door was sealed by ice daily, she had checked every day to see if it was unlocked, but it never was. Eventually she yielded, and gave up checking the door, for she already knew it was sealed. Elsa was very careful, and never failed to lock the doors.

Anna felt the strange hum beneath her skin. She was drawn as a mosquito was to light, she moved towards the door. She grasped the freezing handle, and pushed.

To her astonishment the door thundered open. The loud noise echoed throughout the castle.

"No way." she gasped.

She stepped forward, one foot in front of the other. The door was open. She laughed, and immediately broke into a run, she sprinted through doors, and explored the rooms. Many were similar to her own, another was clearly Elsa's. The large, king sized bed sat in the center of the room against the back wall. There were perfect fluffy pillows, with a soft blue comforter. The girl clearly had a thing for blue objects. Anna took to jumping on the ice queen's bed, laughing with glee was the pillows flew up around her. She explored the castle, living like the adventures that had previously only lived on the pages of her books. Now she was living it. The redhead slid down the banister, plopping gracelessly on the hard floor. She slid down the hallways in her socks, slipping into the wall constantly. Anna had even discovered the kitchen, where meager amounts of food were stored, but one delicacy caught her eye. Chocolate. She indulged, knowing she would be punished later, but she neglected to care about such a thing. The chocolate was sweet, and rich. Its taste lingered in her mouth, and she could still feel the silkiness on her tongue. There was only one area she had not explored. It was the area just beyond the fountain at the entrance of the castle. She could leave, but her curiosity consumed her, taking her towards the room.

The area was dusty, it was clearly neglected. It was obvious that no one had entered the area anytime recently. The area was tucked back, and was rather dark. Anna shivered, the cold had grown stronger here. A shadow zoomed at the corner of her vision. She turned quickly. Her heartbeat sped up, she figured must be on edge. She trekked on. There, again! A shadow lurked at the corners once more. She was not a fool, she did not shout, instead she pretended she hadn't noticed anything. Anna was prepared to move, _I was born ready, _she thought to herself. In this moment of self encouragement she failed to notice the figure in front of her. When she turned forward teal eyes met obsidian eyes that held the darkest of the night skies.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! Got constructive criticism? Feel free to pm me, or drop a review. I have a tumblr~ lillest17. tumblr. com (remove spaces).**


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